← 4 Dec Thursday 5 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,378 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Drownings in Mauritania, illness in Apia and protests in Tehran (Iran) drew the news. Samoa's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMauritania 94 in 100 of its 80 stories, usually 28
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Mauritania

75 of its 80 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Nouadhibou accounted for 56 of Mauritania's 75 stories about harm, carried by 209 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (71 stories). Drownings were named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Mauritania over 30 days → its stories → Nouadhibou stories →
Health

Samoa

109 of its 127 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Apia accounted for 50 of Samoa's 109 stories about harm, carried by 194 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Samoa over 30 days → its stories → Apia stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Burundi

24 of its 28 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Landslides were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Poland

42 of its 149 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Gas explosion was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sudan

74 of its 121 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Khartoum accounted for 42 of Sudan's 74 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

21 of Baghdad's 30 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Gambia

34 of its 61 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Health

Denmark

35 of its 136 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: gas explosion in Poland (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Burundi (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hypothermia in Spain (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Uganda (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in Malaysia (16 of its stories, about three times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 16 the day before
21 in 10016 in 1006 Nov13 Nov20 Nov27 Nov5 Dec6 Nov: 16 in 1007 Nov: 16 in 1008 Nov: 16 in 1009 Nov: 17 in 10010 Nov: 18 in 10011 Nov: 17 in 10012 Nov: 17 in 10013 Nov: 17 in 10014 Nov: 17 in 10015 Nov: 17 in 10016 Nov: 18 in 10017 Nov: 18 in 10018 Nov: 17 in 10019 Nov: 17 in 10020 Nov: 16 in 10021 Nov: 16 in 10022 Nov: 16 in 10023 Nov: 17 in 10024 Nov: 19 in 10025 Nov: 17 in 10026 Nov: 18 in 10027 Nov: 18 in 10028 Nov: 18 in 10029 Nov: 17 in 10030 Nov: 20 in 1001 Dec: 21 in 1002 Dec: 18 in 1003 Dec: 17 in 1004 Dec: 16 in 1005 Dec: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 Dec. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 20,378 stories about harm among 122,472 counted on 5 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Mauritania, 94% of the news was about people being harmed, where 28% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 122,472 stories, as usual. Mentions of drownings ran more than ten times their usual in Mauritania's news. On 5 December 2018, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mauritania94 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Samoa86 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 71 · mostly health Sudan61 in 100 of its 121 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Gambia56 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 32 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria54 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 509 Paris France110 stories about protests or strikes, of its 155 Tehran Iran75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113 London UK65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 333 Beijing China44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 99

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: too little coverage to readKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSweden: warmth about its own usualSlovakia: warmth about its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualFiji: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualGaza, Palestine -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 13 outletsSouth Shields, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 23 outletsNevada, US -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 29 outletsLoughton, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 73 outletsJalalabad, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 18 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 47 stories, carried by 78 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 23 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Fiji warmth about one and a half times usual ● Netherlands warmth about one and a half times usual ● Albania warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Gaza Palestine about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● South Shields UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Nevada US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Loughton UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 6,195 stories · about as usual Health26% 5,118 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents16% 3,261 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,391 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,058 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 819 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 717 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 437 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed4,820 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,604 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,226 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,130 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees251 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions212 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced200 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations115 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting people falling ill46 at about the usual rate

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.